There is something really important about having friends who come over even though there are piles of laundry on your floor and toothpicks holding up your eyelids. And something important about letting them come. They rang the bell at five, but somehow I was sure it was only three and thank God I had been trying to get ready way ahead of time, because that put me right at two hours late. The sauce was simmering, the pasta dough was resting, and the string beans were still in the fridge. I started rolling our dinner through the machine and hanging it on chairs and open cabinet doors, and by the end we only lost one long strip to Ferd testing out a karate chop, and one to a guest who didn’t realize that his chair was otherwise occuppied with noodles. Ferdinand and I had made chocolate cupcakes the day before to get into practice for his party, so we covered those with melted chocolate and had them with ice cream.
I completely forgot the bread, beverages and appetizers. And napkins. But the pasta was good. Pull out your machine and make some. Two cups of flour, two beaten eggs, three Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and the same amount of water. Make a pile of flour with well in the middle. Drop in the rest of the ingredients, and work them together with your hand, until they form a ball. Knead it for five minutes, then let it rest for fifteen. Cut it into four balls. Roll each one through the machine on number one, or the setting with the widest opening. Fold it into thirds like a letter a few times, with open ends on the top and bottom, then fold over into two for about six or seven times, then start working your way up the numbers until you are at the last from the end. Dust lightly with flour as it goes through the machine if it gets sticky. (number 6 if it goes up to number 7). Cut into thin strips. Hang around the room, and then boil in salted water for three to four minutes. Mix immediately with sauce.